Panda géant vs Castor canadien

Ailuropoda melanoleuca compared with Castor canadensis

Key Differences

• Panda géant is Vulnerable while Castor canadien is Not Evaluated.
• Panda géant is 4.0x heavier than Castor canadien.
• Panda géant lives longer (20 years vs 15 years).

Taxonomic Classification

Rank	Panda géant	Castor canadien
Kingdom same	Animalia (animal)	Animalia (animal)
Phylum same	Chordata (Chordates)	Chordata (Chordates)
Class same	Mammalia (mammifères)	Mammalia (mammifères)
Order	Carnivora (carnivores)	Rodentia (Rodents)
Family	Ursidae (Bears)	Castoridae (Beavers)
Genus	Ailuropoda (Giant Pandas)	Castor (Beavers)
Species	Ailuropoda melanoleuca	Castor canadensis

Evolutionary Relationship

Panda géant and Castor canadien share a common ancestor at the Class level: Mammalia. (mammifères)

Conservation Status

Panda géant

VU — Vulnerable

Population: ~1.9K

Trend: Increasing ↑

Castor canadien

NE — Not Evaluated

Population: ~15.0M

Trend: Stable →

Physical Characteristics

Attribute	Panda géant	Castor canadien
Diet	Herbivore	Herbivore
Average Lifespan	20 years	15 years
Average Length	1.5 m	1.0 m
Average Weight	100.0 kg	25.0 kg

Habitat & Geographic Range

Panda géant

Habitat

Found across multiple habitat types including tropical and subtropical moist broadleaf forests, temperate coniferous forests, and temperate broadleaf and mixed forests, among 7 distinct biome types spanning the Indomalayan and Palearctic realms. Populations are also found in montane and highland environments at higher elevations.

Range

Found in China. Currently classified as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List, this species faces significant conservation challenges across its range.

Castor canadien

Habitat

Typically found in grasslands, forests, and vegetated habitats.

Range

Widely distributed across Europe (15 countries), North America (United States), and South America (Argentina, Chile).

Panda géant

Iconic black-and-white bear of the mountain bamboo forests of central China, giant pandas can weigh up to 125 kg and spend up to 14 hours daily consuming bamboo, which comprises 99% of their diet despite belonging to the order Carnivora. Solitary and elusive, they have a pseudo-thumb for gripping bamboo stems. Downgraded from Endangered to Vulnerable in 2016 following successful conservation and breeding programs.

Castor canadien

The largest rodent in North America, Canadian beavers weigh up to 32 kg and are master ecosystem engineers inhabiting rivers, lakes, and wetlands across Canada and the northern United States. By felling trees and constructing dams up to hundreds of meters long, beavers create ponds that provide habitat for hundreds of species. Their lodges and canals transform entire watersheds. Once nearly hunted to extinction for their fur, beaver populations have recovered strongly.